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Con O'Kelly

1886 – 1947

Olympic wrestler

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About Con O'Kelly

Lived 1886 – 1947 (aged 61). Con O'Kelly was an Irish and British amateur wrestler.

George Cornelius "Con" O'Kelly (29 October 1886 – 3 November 1947) was an Irish sport wrestler who competed for Great Britain in the 1908 Summer Olympics, where he won a gold medal.

Career O'Kelly was born in County Cork, Ireland, on 29 October 1886. After he left school, he moved to Hull in England and lodged with Mr and Mrs Larvin in their home at 9 Blanket Row. On 18 September 1902, he joined the Kingston upon Hull City Police and was seconded to the local fire brigade.

He was introduced to wrestling by his colleagues and entered a variety of local competitions. He volunteered to fight the Northern Counties champion, whom he promptly defeated in around three minutes. He was entered by his local wrestling club into the British Amateur Wrestling Heavyweight Championship, which he won. The New York Times referred to it as "the worst wrestling bout that has ever been held in this city".

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Also known as
Cornelius O'Kelly, George Cornelius O'Kelly

People in Con O'Kelly's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Con O'Kelly's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Con O'Kelly?

Olympic wrestler (1886-1947)

When was Con O'Kelly born?

Con O'Kelly was born on 29 October 1886 in Dunmanway.

When did Con O'Kelly die?

Con O'Kelly died on 3 November 1947 in Kingston upon Hull.

What was Con O'Kelly's occupation?

Con O'Kelly was an amateur wrestler.

What nationality was Con O'Kelly?

Con O'Kelly was Irish and British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Con O'Kelly

· Wikidata: Q351123

· DBpedia: Con O'Kelly

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Con O'Kelly. https://biography.guide/con-o-kelly/

MLA: "Con O'Kelly." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/con-o-kelly/.

Chicago: "Con O'Kelly." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/con-o-kelly/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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